Recent hacker attack highlights need for security

Multiple cyber attacks, possibly by hacker group Anonymous, plagued the Boston Children’s Hospital in April – highlighting the need for data security in all health-care environments.

The attacks may have been a response to the case of 15-year-old patient Justina Pelletier, who the hospital reported to the state as being the victim of medical neglect, ultimately resulting in the state assuming custody. Although Anonymous has not claimed responsibility, it recently launched a campaign communicating its concern that the hospital’s actions constitute “crimes against children” and threatening retaliation if the hospital did not release Pelletier.

According to a hospital statement, the attacks sought to bring down the hospital’s web site by overwhelming its capacity, but there was no reason to suggest that patient information was compromised, and patient care was not been interrupted.

The situation serves as a reminder, though, for all health-care practitioners – physician’s offices as well as hospitals. One disgruntled individual could potentially compromise the security of your system and patient data. Indeed, the 2014 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report specifically highlights the health-care industry as a concern when it comes to carelessness regarding privacy and security.

Are you protected? If you’re not sure, it may be a good time to have your IT service provider to a security analysis. Contact us today to see how we can help.

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